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Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

I am EBF my 5 week old and this Saturday I have to take him to get an echocardiogram. I tried taking him on this past Monday. I did not have a paci with me since it was an unexpected test that needed to be done. I pumped into a bottle and gave it to him but still that didn't calm him down. I BF him in-between tests and my poor LO would not calm down. I know this test is not easy to do on a 5 week old.

The nurse was annoyed with me that I did not have supplement feeding handy and I told her I am EBF. She told me to figure it out by Saturday since the test needs to be done within the week. I of course am stressed out because of my son's possible cardiac issues and when I tried to BF him at the office I was tense and hence my LO was out of sorts...anyone have advice for me to "prep" for this test? I am not willing to supplement feed him for this test.

Re: Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

Oh mama. The nurse's irritation is NOT YOUR PROBLEM. I am so sorry that she was snippy with you. You were under enough stress!

I would pump another bottle, maybe another couple of bottles, and try using them. But don't expect them to work- it is very difficult to perform medical tests on squirmy newborns, no matter how they are fed.

I would also call the place where the test is to be performed, and discuss options. For example, can the test be performed while you hold and nurse the baby? And if not, why not? I know that when I to my second LO in to the hospital for her hearing screening, the technician wanted her seated in her carseat. Well, that wasn't working AT ALL- my daughter was so fussy that the tech couldn't get any kind of a reading. Finally I said "I am just going to nurse her while you do the test." The tech wasn't happy, but I didn't care! And guess what? We had a good reading within 5 minutes.

You might also want to discuss scheduling. Don't let them schedule you in the afternoon when your baby is likely to be tried and cranky. Aim for the morning- that is, if morning is your baby's happy time.

Re: Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

The nurse was annoyed with me that I did not have supplement feeding handy and I told her I am EBF. She told me to figure it out by Saturday since the test needs to be done within the week.

This is ridiculous. A diagnostic procedure is NOT a medical indication to supplement. If you get that again I would report it. Seriously.

Agree with mommal's suggestions. But honestly, it's such a crapshoot with a 5 week old baby. They should be willing to work with you to get the test done. Babies are squirmy and fussy especially when undergoing tests. That's the way it is. Are these people used to working with pediatric patients?

Re: Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

I am a sonographer. This request for supplemental feeding is bizarre. Babies are unpredictable, and squirmy, and this is just how it is! We have to just work with it! Not only do I do this for a living, I also know from experience--my own LO needed ultrasounds at 1 day old, 3 weeks old, and 2 months. The test will take longer if the baby is uncooperative, yes, but it can be done. Breaks can be taken to hold and calm the infant.

Now, I can say that there really is no way to get a probe on the baby to see anything if baby is actually being held and nursing. So I don't think they will let you do that. But baby isn't magically going to be happy with a supplemental bottle, either!

What I did for my daughter's ultrasounds was to choose to arrive very early, so that I had plenty of time to hold, soothe, and nurse her before her appointment. And she still got fussy during the last one, because the gel feels weird, she wanted to be held, etc. This is normal! Folks in my profession usually are taught to expect unpredictability from infants and children.

Now, an echocardiogram is a long-ish ultrasound, so I would at least ask if there is a way to take a break if baby needs to eat during the exam. (The answer should be yes!) The test usually takes about 30-40 minutes.

Re: Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

Thank you everyone. I felt the tech was on edge when she even began taking the echo-cardiogram which put me on edge with her. I actually rescheduled the test on them since I felt like a burden to them. It was just a strange vibe I got from the tech. It is a pediatric office and they weren't that pediatric friendly. The cardiologist is highly recommended by several doctors I know and he was great with my LO. I will arrive early as possible and I will request a break and I scheduled for an 11 am ...the last one was a 5 pm and the nurse wanted the baby to sleep and that hour he usually is awake. Thank you everyone for the tips!

Re: Need advice ASAP for my 5 week old

Thank you every1 for your help. My LO did great! Tech had no choice to be patient with an EBF baby. 30 minute echo turned into an 1.5 echo since she let us take breaks to keep him calm. Again thank you!